Friday, October 28, 2011

Halloween is approaching! yaaaay! I'm going as Tintin this year, and Baby G as Snowy, Tintin's dog. My husband is not dressing up, but I secretly wish he would be my Captain Haddock.

Today's post is about Halloween decorating though. Lots of my reader been asking on how to celebrate Halloween in not too scary nor too kiddy atmosphere. Indi, here, would like to decorate her parent's house, and as fellow Indonesian, I'd really, really know how conservative things get around here. A friendly smiling skeleton would be considered outrageous. So here are some tips for you if you wish to celebrate Halloween, without the ghouls and witches.

Mandatory rules : no spooky creatures and/or animals, fictional or not. If you thirst for blood and gore, ignore this post.

Think of a not too scary theme, obviously. Think : Harry Potter potion class, not Saw nor Frankenstein. This arrangement by Martha Stewart is a perfect example. You get the mood of curious glass specimens, but not too hair raising as in a siamese twin fetus jar.

Going for classic literature this year? Think subtle gothic theme, like Poe's Raven instead of Stoker's Dracula. I found BrooklynLimestone's Raven themed dinner party decor is breathtaking but none bone chilling. Visit them for DIY dinner ware! See? No blood in sight!

Think outside of the box, in this case, pumpkins. Give your orange buddy a rest and arrange some flowers instead. Before you say that I am talking about the wrong holiday, take a look at this very fine example by OneCharmingParty. Pick your flower in a Halloween color scheme. For a grown up party, take white or purple ones or neutrals like grayish green. If you want to bring out some oranges without the pumpkin, pick an orange or yellowish colored blooms. Decorate with monochrome vases. Tin can such as the pic works well, but I think vintage-y gothic vases work well too. Be sure to contrast the pairing; black or dark flower go with opaque white vases, white flower, black vases. Don't mix white flowers with glass jars or white vase or it'll scream "I do" instead of "boo".

If you must, MUST, use pumpkins, please don't carve faces on them. For chic effect do paint, tie a bow, hang a tag, scribble your pumpkins in every possible way you can think of. Damask for pumpkins? Now that's what I call trendy. PaperCraftConnection will show you how and inspirations. Think Audrey Hepburn chic, not Morticia.

My final advise, think of Halloween as your un-holiday decor. Think of a color scheme of black and orange instead of vampires and werewolves. It does makes decorating easier if you stick to a color scheme instead of sticking to a theme. You've probably seen it everywhere, but Amy Atlas' pure genius (not evil genius) dessert tables spell C-H-I-C along the way. She showed the way to use color scheme perfectly, black and purple, traditional orange and neutral.

I hope you're inspired (and motivated. *now get out of your screen and get decorating*)!! What are you dressing up as this Halloween or how do you decor your house this year? Do share!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Again, another giveaway to indulge this month! kyandkin is Heather and her two daugthers : kylie and kinley, hence the name of the shop, obviously. And today she's in the mood of giving away of her handmade comfy leggings in winner's choice of color! Isn't that amazing? Yes, you can win your own custom made pair of leggings!

If you love form and function equally, you'll love kyandkin. You know if you shop for toddlers clothing, you can't really abandon comfort and safety. I live in Indonesia, hot and humid, yet I (and my Baby G) is totally in love with kyandkin nightgown. They're 100% cotton, so soft, comfy, and she's not having rash or red elastic marks on her skin. If you love details, you love kyandkin more. Don't believe me? oh, you got to see the handmade packaging she does, it's very intimate, it's like it's really specially made for you, it literally IS sewn to your order, but, you know, there's just a huge difference between carrying a paper/plastic bag from the shop complete with price tags and getting your clothing sewn and folded in a handsewn fabric bag.

Also the same Q&A applies to all my giveaway hosts! Here's Heather's...

My biggest hindrance in crafting/designing is finding time sometimes, it's difficult sometimes with 2 little ones running around, BUT it works out, for now, most of the time - lucky me!

Crafting/Designing projects that I am most proud of when I was a kid is pretty much anything, I love to create. there's a sense of accomplishment with any craft once I complete it.

The harshest criticism/ insult that I have ever received about my craft/design works is haven't received any thus far...

If I were an animal, I'd like to be a bird...would be neat to fly for just a bit :)

If I were about to lose one of my five senses I'd rather it'd be my taste, all the others I wouldn't want to take away, seeing that I love to see, smell, hear and hug my little girls!

I'd mostly get awarded for craftsmanship, taking my time with pieces

If you could choose a celebrity for a sibling, it'd be jennifer aniston, I love her personality, and her style!

THE GIVEAWAY!

So you want to win a pair of custom made leggings on your color of choice? Read on.

How to enter :

Please be a follower of my blog (clickety click the GFC corner there) AND name 1 favorite item from the shop.

I will pick 1 winner with random. org. and the winner will be mailed by Nov 28th, 2010 at 14.00 my time (same day 07.00 GMT). So please, be sure to leave your email. Giveaway opens to US readers and international ones too if you agree to cover the shipping fees.

Additional entries :

*each task gain you +1 entry and mention as separate comment with your link or name as proof*

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

As I promised, giveaway galore, everyone! First up, CloudStreetLab is generously giving away 5 products from her her shop for 5 - FIVE (5!!) winners!

CloudStreetLab is a design and illustration house based at Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Built from love of experimentation and huge dream, CloudStreetLab is consisting of Ilma and Azam. the duo is currently opened the shop at Etsy for easy, affordable cliparts. Their products include the best selling robot cliparts, ultra cute Halloween themed cliparts, and my personal favorite, the Monster Creator Kit! All of which is very suitable for a kiddie Halloween party! You can found out more about them at their lovely website or say hello to their blog.

If you want to find out more about CloudStreetLab I have kinda interviewed them..

This one is Ilma ..

My biggest hindrance(s) in crafting/designing is/are procrastination.

Crafting/Designing projects that I am most proud of when I was a kid is my 'Reog' drawing. I won a gold medal for that. :D

The harshest criticism/ insult that I have ever received about my craft/design works is a laugh. A laugh can be harsh, sometimes. :)

If I were an animal, I'd like to be a bird, because I can visit different places and countries without spending my savings!

If I were about to lose one of my five senses I'd rather it'd be my smell.

I'd mostly get awarded for the clumsiest person. I often drop and break things, hit a wall while walking, lost important items :D

If you could choose a celebrity for a sibling, it'd be Rafael Nadal. He's such a nice and talented person.

..and Azam's ..

Crafting/Designing projects that I am most proud of when I was a kid is my comic

The harshest criticism/ insult that I have ever received about my craft/design works is "You're so impatient. An artist must take his/her time in making artwork."

If I were an animal, I'd like to be--recently--an ape (because I can make a revolution and build my own planet)

If I were about to lose one of my five senses I'd rather it'd be my touch.

Gain 5 extra entries if you purchase from CloudStreeLab during the giveaway. Mention with your etsy name in 5 separate comments.

If you can't wait for your cliparts, head over to CloudStreetLab blog. They're giving away free cliparts like the one pictured above (perfect for autumn garland). Do share your pictures if you used them! Comment away, folks! QUICK, the monsters waiting!

Monday, October 17, 2011

Halloween is just 2 weeks away! I'm so excited! If only I could decorated our doorways and lanes with paper tombstones and plastic skeletons without getting myself burnt at stakes. Sigh. I always envy you guys who can celebrate Halloween in the open. Heck, I can always celebrate with you guys, online! Halloween party printables here FREE for you all these 2 weeks (pssst. Giveaway(s) too...)

One of my reader, Sarah, asked for a not too kiddie Halloween theme like I have always done but not slasher movie material either. So...inspired by this, I think I'd share a photo props that is both safe for children but doesn't felt too childish for a grown up Halloween gathering.

Do cut along the dotted lines and don't forget to attach both temples to your "boo!". I initialized the "boo!" to fit with A4 printing paper, but do adjust the print size to your ..er... head or heads. For example, a 80% printed "boo!" suit 7 years old well. Or if your head is as huge as a pumpkin, print at 120%.

Lastly, download, enjoy, and do share your pics!

*** October 2013 update : I'm expiring the Scribd uploaded link and move the file to Google docs, which is user friendly and more awesome, so click away on the newly updated link. It will take you to the google docs site! Or Visit this post for a full list of my Halloween printables. Thank you! ***

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Greetings folks! I can believe it's October already! I thought I was just celebrating new year 2011!

I was out of town for several weeks and I was really lost in (internet) connection. So pardon my blog break. I'm back now and ready to give you more ideas and fun this October. *wink* Giveaways (yes, plural) included, so stay tuned.

While I'm saying hello, here's a reminder of Halloween fun at babalisme you can download for free!

This year, I was thinking of a grown up Halloween party printable since lots here are suitable for kids (those who are in their hearts). So maybe less orange, more black and ghoulish? What do you think? Do you prefer kiddie theme printable or grown up this year? Vote!